Page 43 - hisdeSAT annual report 2011

FULLY PERFORMING

4.4 Operations

Throughout 2011 and for the sixth consecutive

year, HISDESAT has become consolidated as satellite

operator, maintaining fully operational and in orbit its
communications system consisting of the geostationary

satellites SpainSat and Xtar-Eur. The contractual process

for the new communications satellite, HisNorSat, was

also undertaken, participating in the definition of its
requisites and the evaluation of the bids received.

Arrival of the Paz satellite at the premises of EADS CASA Espacio

During the past year, preparations also be-
gan on the operation of the future low or-
40 The ground segment for Paz began its man- 41 bit observation satellite Paz, the mission and
ufacturing phase during 2011, with the ar- operation of which is the responsibility of
chitecture facilitating coordination of re- HISDESAT, allowing the company to position
sources with Ingenio’s ground segment, itself in the near future as the only national
thereby reducing the costs associated with operator and one of the
these developments within the Nation- few European opera-
al Satellite Earth Observation Programme. The company will tors of multi-mission
HISDESAT, in its role as operator of the Paz satellites.
satellite, has maintained a high degree of position itself in the
collaboration with INTA, responsible for its near future as the During 2011, the
manufacture. INTA installed at its head- SpainSat satellite com-
quarters in Torrejón de Ardoz the antenna only national operator pleted more than five
destined for communications with Paz and years in operational or-
Ingenio, after which the first tests for com- monitoring of this programme in order to and one of the few bit, maintaining all its
patibility between the Paz satellite and the adapt its services to the needs of Spanish sub-systems fully oper-
INTA ground segment were held with very users. European operators ational, with all redun-
satisfactory results. Similarly, HISDESAT col- dant units available.
laborates closely with ESA on the definition of multi-mission Throughout its opera-
of the Ingenio ground segment. tional life, almost 2.400
satellites real time procedures back following a detailed analysis of histori-

The Ingenio satellite has continued its defi- have been performed, cal services, the number of duplicate orbital
nition process, consolidating its develop- of which 305 were ma- procedures were reduced, eliminating them
ment during the year 2011. HISDESAT main- noeuvres pertaining to maintenance and or- completely during the course of 2011, there-
tains close collaborative ties with the CDTI bital control. To this effect, and following on by reducing fuel consumption for the fifth
and the European Space Agency (ESA) for the with the strategy put into place some years consecutive year, by almost 6%.